This application is based on application Ser. No. 094074 filed in Japan on Mar. 30, 2000, the content of which incorporated hereinto by reference.
Data such as the remaining capacity of a battery, which is used as the source for an electronic device such as a computer, is required to be determined in units or value of electric current or/and electric power. The remaining battery capacity in electric current value is determined by subtracting the discharge current amount from the fully charged battery capacity. The remaining battery capacity in electric power value is determined by subtracting the discharge power amount from the fully charged battery capacity. The remaining capacity in electric current value can be calculated from the multiplied value of discharge current. The remaining capacity in electric power value can be computed from the multiplication of the product of multiplication of current value by voltage. The remaining power in a battery should always be computed by multiplication of battery voltage by discharge current, followed by multiplication of the product of multiplication so conducted, as the voltage of a battery constantly changes as battery continues to discharge.
As described above, the related art methods for determining remaining battery capacity have various disadvantages. The related art devices and methods for calculating the remaining capacity of a battery in an electric current value differ from an electric power value. Accordingly, each calculation should be practiced separately by different devices in order to obtain the remaining battery capacity both in current values and in power values. Such calculations require a very complicated system and heavy workload, and result in technical and financial difficulties.
The present invention has been developed in order to overcome the above stated shortcoming. The primary object of this invention is to provide a method that determines capacity of a battery using both electric current and electric power in a very simple way.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method for calculating remaining battery capacity that obviates one or more of the disadvantages of the related art.
Another object is to determine capacity of a battery, according to the present invention by either calculating capacity in an electric current value alone and then converting the result into an electric power value, or calculating capacity in an electric power value alone and then converting the result into an electric current value.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method that calculates capacity in electric current value and converts a result into capacity in electric power value.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method that calculates capacity in electric power value and converts a result into capacity in electric current value.
The method of determining battery capacity calls for either detecting the discharging electric current or detecting the recharging current or both, and thus determines battery capacity in terms of electric current value. Capacity in electric current value so determined is multiplied by the correcting constant which varies in accordance with current capacity and thus capacity in electric power value is determined.
In the present method, for example, the remaining capacity of a battery in electric current value is first calculated from the multiplication of discharge current of the battery and then the remaining capacity in power value is calculated by multiplying the remaining capacity in current value so calculated by the correcting constant which varies in accordance with the remaining capacity in current value. In this way the remaining battery capacity is computed as the relative remaining capacity.
According to the method of determining capacity of a battery, capacity of a battery is first computed in electric power value by detecting the battery voltage and multiplication of discharge current or charge current or both. Capacity in electric power value so calculated is converted into capacity in electric current value by way of being multiplied by the correcting constant which varies in accordance with capacity in power value.
In the present method, for example, the remaining capacity of a battery in power value is first calculated from the multiplication of discharge power and then the remaining capacity in current value is computed by multiplying the remaining capacity in power value by the correcting constant which varies in accordance with the remaining capacity in electric power value. In this way the remaining battery capacity is calculated as the relative remaining capacity.
The method of the present invention to determine capacity of a battery is distinctly different from others in a way that it calculates battery capacity in electric current value as well as electric power value in a very simple way. The reason is that by this method capacity is determined by calculating capacity in current value and converting it into power value or calculating capacity in power value and then converting it into capacity in current value. In this method of the present invention capacity in electric power value is calculated by multiplying capacity in electric current value by the correcting constant which varies in accordance with capacity in current value. Or capacity in current value is calculated by multiplying capacity in power value by the correcting constant which varies in accordance with capacity in power value. In this way the method of the present invention assures a simple and inexpensive device for the circuit in order to obtain battery capacity in electric power value as well as in electric current value.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.